Smoke clarifier for combustion engines



1930. c. s. HAWLEY SMOKE CLARIFIER FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 10. 1926 Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES GILBERT HAWLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CENTRIFIX COR- PORATION, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A COBPORA'ION OF OHIO SMOKE CLABIFIER FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed March 10, 1926. Serial No. 93,796.

My invention relates to means for removing oil particles and solids from the gases or smoke exhausted by internal combustion engines and the like. By so doing, the ex 5 haust may be clarified and rendered substantially unnoticeable and in every event the usual shower of oil particles from the exhaust pipe is avoided. Such is the main purpose of the invention. A further object is to accomplish the desired results by a means or apparatus in the nature of an exhaust head that shall be attractively small and of little weight and of relatively low cost, considering the character of work performed. A further and incidental object of the invention, but quite as important as any other, is to provide a centrifugal tuyere or tuyere unit that shall be of minimum weight, maximum strength and of the highest elficiency, as required by the exacting performance demanded of an oil exhaust head, and which units each complete at different levels, the better to illustrate the internal construction; Fig. 2 is a vertical I section of the exhaust head; and, Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of one side or portion of a single centrifugal unit, used in and comprising a part of the invention.

As will more fully appear hereinafter, I divide the performance of the work of oil and dirt recovery or separation into a series of steps or stages; first using care to condi-' 40 tion for easy collection the difliculty recoverable particles of oil mist and agglomerate therewith the particles of carbon; then throwing down directly a portion thereof; and finally, wringing the outgoing'gases free from the remaining particles, by means of the centrifugal units before mentioned.

In the drawing, 2 represents the upper end of'the exhaust pipe. Resting on the flange thereof is a cast metal bottom 3 belonging to 9 the exhaust head and characterized by an upstanding flange 3'. Its periphery contains a groove or shoulder 3 that becomes the seat for the lower end of the cylindrical casing L. The top of the casing is formed by the plate 5, or may be left open. When the plate is used it is provided with a central opening 5, larger than the incoming exhaust pipe 2; and for sake of appearance or for connection with an extended pipe, the top 5 is provided with an upstanding collar 5 around the outlet opening 5. A ring 6 is attached to the inner wall of the casing 4 near the top 5, and this ring supports the floor or diaphragm 7 Bolts 8, which pass through the floor and through the bottom 3, serve to fasten the casing 4 tightly on the cast bottom. The tight wall 4 and the flange 3 define an oil receiving space or a pocket 9 at the bottom of the exhaust head. A drain pipe 10 leads down ward from the pocket, to keep the same clear 3 of oil and sludge.

At such distance above the open end of the exhaust pipe as not to materially obstruct the release of the gas therefrom, but near enough to receive the certain impact of the particles of oil, and of carbon, and of water carried by the gas, I arrange the hollow circular baffle 11. Preferably this baffle is COD, cave on the underside and is provided, not only with the internal cavity 11, but also with the rounded periphery 11". The top of the member 11 has a central boss by which it is attached to the lower end of the small pipe 12 which hangs downward from the center of the floor 7. The upper end of said pipe is open.

According to my invention, pressure air, or if. available, Water under pressure, is sup plied to the internal cavity 11 of the baffle 11 through a tangential connection 13. The outer end of the latter contacts the wall 4 and is joined by the pipe 14, through which the cooling medium is supplied.

Air, even at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees F. serves to cool the baflle 11 sufficiently engines and high temperature exhausts a supply of cooler air, or at any rate alarger quantity of air, and if possible, a stream of water, should be used.

The air that enters through the tangential inlet 13 obviously, forcibly impacts and i can be caught, hence, this impacting of the vapors upon the relatively cool surface of the baffle. Further, the oil vapors tend to retain their heat for a longertime than the gases proper, as they are not subject to the same law of expansion and heat loss. The difference in the nature of the oil vapors iscornpensated by the action of the heat absorbing baffle andthe vapors condensed thereon are displaced in the form of liquid streams and globules, some of. which are discharged directly into the pocket, 9, leaving only a res due to, be recovered and thrown down by the hereinafter described centrifugal unit or units. t j

Further, the coating or accumulation of oil on the concave under side of the baille 11, makes the same into a sticky surface which, on receiving the impact of the carbon particles from the exhaust, successfully retains them and they are separated or recovered along with the oil. This is'true also in the action of the centrifugal unit, with the re sult that on emerging from the exhaust head the gases are not only substantially free of oil, but also are practically free of carbon particles and tar particles and, hence, substantially colorless. On rising from the lowerv part of the exhaust header receiver the partially clarified gas is intercepted and acted upon by the centrifugal appliance before the gas can reach the space'15 above the floor 7 In the present instance, that floor-conta ns SIX openings. 16, which present an aggregate area, preferably considerably greater than the area of the exhaust pipe 2, to the end that the gases shall leave the exhaust head at a lower velocity than that at which they en tered the exhaust head, For each said opening 16 I provide a complete centrifugal unit G of the construction clearlydepicted in F gs. 1 and 2 and detailed upon a larger scalein ig- 3- I Each centrifugal unit Comprises an internally tuyered vertical cylinder 17 a top18, and a bottoin19, together with a central vor cw ex breaking disl; 20, attached t9 thecenter of the bottom 19, asbest shown at the left hand of Figs. 1 and 2. The tuyere shown is of a peculiarly light, economical andefiicient fornn'adaptedto receive the gases through a plurality of longitudinal or vertical tangential tuyeres, about to be described, and to cause the gases to take on a rapid whirling motion inside of the tuyere and thuscen trifugally separate the heavier particles of oil, etc., and to cause the separated liquid, however foul with carbon, to collect on the bottom 19, thence to drain into the pocket 9; while the clarified gases depart through the opening 16 at the top of the t-uyere.

The cylindrical portion 17, here shown, is

initially made from a thin flat sheet of metal already provided with the flanges 17 at its edges. The flat sheet is sheared upon parallel longitudinal lines to form the separate blades 17*, and those portions are pressed or punched out; so asto leave a series ofblades which are at an angle to the body of the sheet.

17 are formed, one between each pair of.

blades. The edges of the plate, after the cylinder is formed, are welded as a rule and the cylindrical member takes on. the appearance of having been formed from a section of thin walled tubing but,.as a matter of fact, a. tuy e h charac er ed by n ardly 6 tending overlapping blades cannot be formed by a mere stamping operation upon'a piece of tubing; at least, not Withou Several machine operationsand a prohibitive amount of pressure. 1 a .As will vbe seen, the flanges 17 at the top and bottom ofthe'tuyere also extend inward and they serve to retain and; properly position the cup-like bottom- 19, and the ring like top 18. Those parts are; put into place before the edges of the tuyered sheet areweld-f ed or connected, as above rnention'ed. Little, if any, other fastening is required for the' bottom 19' asits peripheral.flangelfy is held between the lower ends of the tuyereblades andthe flange 17 Preferably, the-ringelike 7 top 18 is .secured eithe r by a plurality of rivets 18,or'=b'y;a number of. spot welds.

' The body of the'tuyereor unit. is of greater diameter than the opening 16 inthe floor 7 The'centraliopening in the ring 18 is, of'the same size as-the opening. '16, and preferably, the-unit is attached to said floor-7' by means of a flange collar or sleeve 21, the upper" end of' which is rolledand beaded upon the floor plate 7. Thus, the 'unit is rigidly. and permanentlyattached tothe remainder of the exhaust head, and cannot rattle loose. It will be noted that the marginal portion 1 8 ofthe' ring 18 is in the form of a truncated cone oflow pitch, and an additional feature of'the invention-resides in the spacing away skilled in the art.

of that portion of the ring from the top of the tuyere blades 17. Thereby, a collection groove 23 is formed at the top of the unit, into which groove the separated substances which find their way to the top of the tuyere are expelled and given an opoprtunity to drain down the side of the tuyere or unit.

It remains to be explained that the areas of the tuyeres 17 in the aggregate materially exceed the area of the central outlet 16 at the top of the unit. In practice, the tuyere area is about double that of said out let. In consequence, a drop of pressure within the body of the unit is avoided and the liquids that collect at the bottom of the unit therefore freely drain from the several holes 19 that are provided near the outer periphery of the bottom 19.

Due to surface tension the liquid tends to creep across the bottom'19 toward the center and, lest this small quantity of liquid be caught up by the vortex at that point, I employ the vortex breaking or defeating disk 20. It will be understood that the rapid rotation of the continuing body of gas within the centrifugal unit, not only insures the centrifugal separation of the heavier substances, but results in the formation of an upward moving vortex at the axis of the unit. Any substances caught therein are apt to be expelled through the central outlet at the opposite end of the unit. This is the action that is prevented by the part 20. That part is elevated upon the bottom 19, as by the central post 20. Beneath it are a number of holes 19 for the discharge of such liquids as reach that point.

It will now be understood that the burdened gases are subjected to an initial separation in the lower part of the head or receiver and to a subsequent and final separation Within the described centrifugal unit. Considerable advantage adheres to the employment of said unit in sizes of limited diameter. The centrifugal effect is thereby relatively increased. And yet, as the gases are afforded many avenues of escape, as in other multiple relations, the drop of pressure in any one unit, if any, is the measure of the total drop of pressure through all.

Various modifications of my invention and various other uses thereof; or example, in the purification. of steam and gases generally, will suggest themselves to those who are Therefore, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the precise structure herein shown and described, nor to the particular use herein elucidated. Instead, the scope of my invention is to be ascertained from the appended claims,

as read in the light of the foregoing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The herein described improvement in tioned horizontally therein, and containing a plurality of intermediate outlet openings, an inlet below said floor, a main outlet above said floor and a plurality of centrifugal separating units depending from said floor at the respective intermediate outlet openings therein.

3. The herein described improvement in exhaust heads and receivers that comprises a casing, in combination with a floor positioned iorizontally therein, and containing a plurality of intermediate outlet openings, an in- 3 let below said floor, a main outlet above said floor, a plurality of centrifugal separating units depending from said floor at the respective intermediate outlet openings therein, and

an initial separating bathe positioned Within said casing opposite said inlet.

4. The herein described improvement in exhaust heads and receivers that comprises a casing, in combination with a floor positioned horizontally therein, and containinga 111- 4.

rality of intermediate outlet openings, an in let below said floor, a main outlet above said floor, a plurality of centrifugal separating units depending from said floor at the respective intermediate outlet openings therein, and

an internally cooled baffle positioned within said casing oppositesaid inlet.

5. An exhaust head for internal combustion engines and the like, the exhaust gases from which contain substances that do not 7 part with their heat as readily as the expanding gases containing them, comprising a casinghaving an inlet and an outlet, an internally air cooled bafiie positioned within the casing opposite said inlet, means directing the air tangentially against the inner periphery of said baffle for the certain cooling of the marginal portions thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of March, A. D. 1926. CHARLES GILBERT HAWLEY. 

